Shane Fliedner’s improver Setinum may have the wide draw in Saturday’s 2015 Memsie Stakes, but he remains a livewire hope of scoring back-to-back Caulfield wins according to his hoop Jake Noonan.
Regal Roller Stakes winner Setinum is an outside hope in betting but a livewire 2015 Memsie Stakes chance according to his hoop. Photo: Adrienne Bicknell.
A capacity field lines up in this year’s $400,000 Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) on Saturday, including Holy Roman Emperor four-year-old Setinum drawn the outside alley.
Recent history shows a double digit Memsie Stakes barrier is a near death sentence with the only winner to jump from wider than nine in the past decade being King’s Rose (2011) and even that was only gate 11.
Barrier 16 hasn’t produced a Memsie Stakes winner in 30 years, but Fliedner remains hopeful his runner can break the hoodoo and history as a $41 hope through Ladbrokes.com.au.
A winner of three of his nine starts to date, Setinum was last seen taking out the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at the Caulfield track a fortnight ago with Dwayne Dunn guiding him to victory.
Noonan replaces Dunn, who partners the returning Team Hawkes-trained Entirely Platinum ($10), and is thrilled to be back in the saddle after winning the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) on him back in March.
The bookies don’t rate the chances of the Regal Roller winner, but Noonan does and admits he was disappointed having to give up the ride first-up on the horse as he was unable to make the weight (54kg).
“A lot of luck went my way this week,” Noonan told AAP.
“Dwayne Dunn had another offer and he chose that. They went with Damian Lane and he didn’t get off on his appeal.
“Hopefully the luck can keep rolling my way on Saturday.”
Saturday will be Setinum’s fourth run over the 1400m, and Noonan believes it is the horse’s pet distance giving him a shot at defeating the field of better fancied rivals.
“There’s no doubt the quality of the field is definitely going to test him and his ability but he’s in good form,” Noonan said.
“He’s come back in great order. He’s got a bit of residual fitness on his side and that’s definitely going to play into his favour.
“There’s no reason why he hasn’t earned the chance to have a shot in a Group 1.”
Memsie Stakes odds are led by the Chris Waller-trained Boban ($4.80) in barrier five with Glyn Schofield aboard the four-time Group 1 winner who ran fifth to Dissident (2014) in the race last year as the beaten favourite.
To check out the full Memsie Stakes 2015 markets and back your favourites at Best Tote or SP + 20% on your winnings, visit Ladbrokes.com.au now!
